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Re: Tuning piano to B-flat

Author: Dibbs
Date: 2015-03-05 14:13

Ken Shaw wrote:

> A standard hammer-hits-the string piano wouldn't work at all
> tuned down a step. In fact, the process would probably destroy
> it.
> ...

It would work and it wouldn't do it any harm at all. Nevertheless it really isn't a practical thing to do and it wouldn't sound very good at the lower tension level.

Old pianos, when their pins start to get loose and won't hold at A440 any more are often tuned a semitone down. Another semitone wouldn't hurt it.

I have personally taken all the strings completely off a piano to fix several cracks and refinish the soundboard. You just have to do it evenly ( all the C's then all the D's etc) so as not to put an unusual strain on the frame.

There used to be transposing pianos where a lever shifts the entire keyboard sideways to play in different keys. Irving Berlin apparently had one since (legend has it that) he could only play in C. If that's true he probably had to change gear in the middle of Cheek to Cheek.

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Tuning piano to B-flat new

derf5585

2015-03-04 19:20